A 3-member defence delegation led by Mr. Sanjay Mitra, Defence Secretary ofIndia is visiting Kenya on 11-12 January 2018 to discuss issues of bilateral defence cooperationbetween the two countries. This is the first-ever visit to Kenya by India’sDefence Secretary in recent decades.

Indian Navy has launched a new placement portal for naval veterans, widows and their dependents. The new website has been developed by M/s Silver Touch while the creative look is by M/s Weiden and Kennedy.

A large number of highly skilled personnel leave Indian Navy, in their 30s and 40s to ensure a young fighting force for the nation. This capable and trained pool of disciplined naval veterans is made available to the Corporate Sector by the Indian Naval Placement Agency (INPA) for harnessing their talents.

To increase the opportunities available to the retiring naval personnel, the Indian Navy has signed an Agreement with Monster.com which allows members of INPA to receive job alerts from Monster.com and also avail subsidised career services. Monster India aims to list more than 1,000 opportunities in the next 12 months with a target of increasing this number to 2,000 opportunities by year 2020. The partnership will focus on identifying opportunities in sectors such as capital goods industries, IT, security space, ITeS, MSMEs etc for the uniquely skilled talent pool of veterans of the Indian Navy.

the former Northern Commander, Lt Gen Hooda has detailed some home truths in the article titled, " to be fighting fit"excerpts

An insufficient defence budget impacts not only modernisation but also the current operational readiness of the force. Reduction in revenue allocation means cutting down on training requirements and routine replacement of items like surveillance and protective equipment.

on the mismatch of govt statements and ground realities

the service chiefs have constantly reminded the government that a two-front war is a real possibility and of the need to prepare for it. It is quite obvious that the government does not take this too seriously, as evidenced from budgetary allocations and glib statements that the forces are ‘reasonably and sufficiently equipped’ The first step to resolve this contradiction is for the government to order a comprehensive strategic review of the future threats to India. This will provide a clear picture to the political leadership, and also directions to the military on its doctrine and force structures. A long-term capability development plan can then be prepared by the military and approved by the government. This will form the basis for the defence budget. The annual bickering over the mismatch between what the military demands and the actual allocations made will be avoided.

I think this is our revolution in military affairs

The military also must understand the realities of India’s finances and look to reconstruct itself. Military capability is not all about money. As a RAND monograph, “Measuring Military Capability”, points out, “Military effectiveness (is) the outcome of the resources provided to the military and its capability to transform these resources into effective warfighting capability. A country may provide its military with generous budgets and large cadres of manpower, but if the military’s doctrine is misguided, the training ineffective, the leadership unschooled, or the organization inappropriate, military capability will suffer.”The military must stop talking in terms of numbers, of squadrons, ships and divisions, and focus on capability. This is much more challenging than harping on raising divisions and squadrons because it confronts us with the crucial issue of defining the type of capability that India needs for future warfighting. It will force us to search for the new and the unexpected, and to look at technologies such as robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to enhance our military capability.

SubmitMinistry of Home AffairsCyber SecurityPosted On: 20 MAR 2018 3:56PM by PIB DelhiNational Cyber Security Policy (2013) provides for developing effective Public Private Partnership and collaborative engagements through technical and operational cooperation and contribution for enhancing the security of cyberspace. A Joint Working Group (JWG) for Public Private Partnership on cyber security has been set up at NSCS which is working in following areas:

Setting up of Information Sharing and Analysis Centres (ISACs) in critical sectors like Banking, Telecommunications and Power.Establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) on Policy Research, Standards, Audit.Capacity building for law enforcement agencies and cyber forensics.Establishment testing labs for telecom and IT equipment under PPP model The following mechanism and measures are in place to ensure digital safety and cyber security:

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as a National nodal agency to coordinate matters related to cyber security incidents in the country.National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) has been setup to enhance the protection and resilience of Nation’s Critical information infrastructure. Government has issued general guidelines for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) regarding their key roles and responsibilities for securing applications / infrastructure and compliance Organisations are encouraged to develop their organisation level cyber security policy.Public Private Partnership has been developed for cooperation and collaboration for responding cyber security incidents.Awareness has been created in law enforcement agencies through conducting cybercrime awareness workshops.Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Project is being implemented with an objective of capacity building in the area of Information Security, training of Government personnel and creation of mass Information Security awareness. The project aims to train 1.14 Lakhs persons under Academic activities (formal and non-formal courses) by the year 2020. So far more than 71000 candidates have been trained in various formal/non-formal courses in Information Security through 52 academic and training institutions.Cyber forensics training labs in all north eastern states, CBI Academy Ghaziabad and cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata and Bangalore have been setup and more than 28,000 state police from North Eastern States, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka have been trained for dealing with cybercrime.Cyber Crisis Management Plan (CCMP) for countering cyber threats and cyber terrorism has been developed and so far 60 workshops have been conducted for Central Govt. Ministries/Departments, States/Union Territories and other organisations.Research and development is carried out in the thrust areas of cyber security including (a) Cryptography and cryptanalysis, (b) Network & System Security, (c) Monitoring & Forensics, and (d) Vulnerability Remediation & Assurance through sponsored projects at recognized R&D organizations.Government has initiated setting up of National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) to generate necessary situational awareness of existing and potential cyber security threats and enable timely information sharing for proactive, preventive and protective actions by individual entities. Phase-I of NCCC has been made operational.Government has launched the Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) which provides detection of malicious programs and free tools to remove the same.This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in a written replies to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

The government will now fully fund the education of martyrs' children, said a notification today from the defence ministry.

Earlier, the education of these children was funded, but only up to Rs 10,000 a month. That limitation, on what's called "educational concession", has now been removed.

The concession applies to the children of officers from the armed forces, 'persons below officer rank' missing in action, and those disabled or killed in action. This scheme covers around 3,400 children and entails an expenditure of around Rs 5 crore a year currently.

"The educational concession will be admissible only for undertaking studies in government/government-aided schools/educational institutes/military /Sainik schools and other schools or colleges recognised by the central or state governments, including autonomous organisations financed entirely by the central/state governments," said a statement posted by the defence ministry on Twitter.

The policy lays down the conditions for hiring porters by the army, which includes paying them a monthly wage of Rs 18,000 along with compensatory wages depending on the altitude of the area of employment, degree of difficulty and risk to life, besides also giving them army medical and ration facilities.

This is a step forward from the way porters were employed and treated by the army in the past.

They were hired on a daily wage basis and not given any such facilities.

Manish_P wrote:The government will now fully fund the education of martyrs' children, said a notification today from the defence ministry.

SubmitMinistry of DefenceCap Oneducational Concession to Children of Missing/Disabled/Killed Soldiers Removed Posted On: 22 MAR 2018 3:49PM by PIB DelhiGovernment has decided to continue educational concessions to the children of Armed Forces Officers/Personnel Below Officer Ranks (PBORs)/Missing/Disabled/ Killed in Action without the cap of Rs. 10,000 per month.

Ministry of Defence had persuaded the Finance Ministry twice in this regard, which is agreed upon by the latter.

The above educational concession will be admissible only for undertaking studies in a government/government aided schools/educational institutes, Military/Sainik Schools and other schools or colleges recognised by the Central or State Governments including the autonomous organisations financed entirely by the Central/State Governments.

Soon, India defence attaché at US navy Bahrain commandThe Pentagon has also agreed to have an Indian military representative at the Defence Innovation Unit Experimental, a US government unit that funds private companies working on cutting-edge defence technologies.INDIA Updated: Mar 21, 2018 23:55 ISTShishir Gupta

The decisions were finalised during defence secretary Sanjay Mitra’s visit last week to the Pentagon.(PTI File Photo)India will have a military attaché in the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in Bahrain, defence ministry officials said on condition of anonymity, highlighting what they term a “path-breaking” development that signals deeper defence cooperation between the two countries.

The officials added that the Pentagon has also agreed to have an Indian military representative at the Defence Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), a US government unit that funds private companies working on cutting-edge defence technologies.

According to the officials, the decisions were finalised during defence secretary Sanjay Mitra’s visit last week to the Pentagon, during which India and the US also decided to jointly participate in tri-service amphibious exercises off the Indian coast (including in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands) as well as increasing the scope of trilateral naval exercises with the Japanese Navy in the Indo-Pacific. The decision to include the Australian Navy to make it a quadrilateral exercise is still a work in progress.

The bilateral decision to post an Indian defence attaché at the Bahrain Command has huge ramifications as NAVCENT’s area of responsibility includes the Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea. Comprising the Fifth Fleet and other forces, this Command is in charge of naval operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the oil-rich Gulf countries. It is also the lead player in anti-piracy and counter-terrorist operations conducted by the Combined Task Force 150 and 158.

Defence ministry officials said the Indian attaché in Bahrain will ensure that the US and Indian navies are on the same page. New Delhi’s perception of the Indo-Pacific is the area from the Gulf of Aden to the west coast of America. The Indian attaché will ensure better coordination and logistic support for warships and aircraft carriers of the two countries.

The officials said that the idea of posting a representative in the DIUx is to gain first-hand experience on how the Pentagon and the private sector work together for national security. This unit identifies and invests in companies, including start-ups that fulfil US Department of Defense hardware or software requirements. The Indian representative will be able to identify solutions for the Indian military and explore which ones could work under the “Make in India” rubric.

As a sign of increasing naval cooperation, the two countries are all for raising the complexity of the exercises, fostering joint training and validating standard operating procedures for amphibious operations. On December 21, the Indian Navy conducted a tri-services exercise off the coast of Kakinada in the Eastern Naval Command with landing ships from Andaman Nicobar Command participating in the manoeuvres. With South Block taking administrative steps towards integrated theatre commands, the Andamans Command will soon become the hub of Indian Navy’s might in the Indian Ocean in order to ensure that sea lanes of communications are not obstructed and freedom of navigation is unhampered by any third aggressive power.

Interestingly, in US Navy’s definition, India comes under Hawaii-based Pacific Command. Delhi, for the past two decades, has pushed for a liaison with NAVCENT because the latter is responsible for the Arabian Sea.

Ministry of DefencePresident Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service AwardsPosted On: 27 MAR 2018 7:42PM by PIB DelhiThe President and Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred three Kirti Chakras and 17 Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here today. One Kirti Chakra and five of the Shaurya Chakras were given posthumously.

The President also conferred fourteen Param Vishisht Seva Medals, one Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and twenty two Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order. The following is the list of awardees in order of presentation:-

There is a marginal shortage of pilots in Indian Air Force against the authorised establishment. However, the available strength of pilots in the IAF is sufficient to meet the current operational requirements. With the accretions sanctioned by the Government in the recent past, these shortages would be mitigated.

The induction process has been streamlined and simplified. Selection process in vogue is satisfactory, with proactive steps been taken by the armed forces to reduce the shortage, which includes participation in career fairs / exhibitions, advertisements in print and electronic media, motivational lectures in schools & colleges, visuals / signage at strategic locations, etc.

Apart from the above, regular Army Melas at Army Command level, Aviation specific demonstrations during NCC parades, advertisement through Additional Director General Public Information and on website in open domain are undertaken for increasing awareness and attracting youth to armed forces.

This information was given by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply to Shri Bharat Singh and others in Lok Sabha today.

NS said we have enough anmo for a 10 day war.IE asks," after that?"MOD babus sit on files for months.

"Absence of a sr.military officer remains a severe handicap.Bureaucrats with a shallow knowledge of military requirements often sit on files for months.They are one of the biggest obstacles in the path to modernising India's forces."

CoAS expressed dismay at the state of affairs.VCoAS told the parliamentary committee was inadequate.

Will things change? NO.Unless the military has permanent representation in the MOD.

It is apalling that even this govt. supposed to be the friend if the forces after so many years has not realised this and reformed the MOD.

Paki terrorists in J&K use better weapons than the IA!Chin pres XI Gins earned of a " bloody battle" underscoring the threat to India.we should plan for an intense 40 day war, a target that should've been met a decade ago.

While NS is trying to speed up DPSU delivery,"civilian neglect over decades" is the key problem.Then there is the woeful budget.At less than 2% of the budget there's little left after salaries and pensions for modernisation and growth .

NS has to tackle these 2 problems Budget and Babus if we are to be fully prepared for anything more than a 10 day war.The GOI must just look around the globe at wars that have been going on for years! 10 days will be the tip of the tit of an iceberg in wartime!

NS said we have enough anmo for a 10 day war.IE asks," after that?"MOD babus sit on files for months.

"Absence of a sr.military officer remains a severe handicap.Bureaucrats with a shallow knowledge of military requirements often sit on files for months.They are one of the biggest obstacles in the path to modernising India's forces."

CoAS expressed dismay at the state of affairs.VCoAS told the parliamentary committee was inadequate.

Will things change? NO.Unless the military has permanent representation in the MOD.

It is apalling that even this govt. supposed to be the friend if the forces after so many years has not realised this and reformed the MOD.

Paki terrorists in J&K use better weapons than the IA!Chin pres XI Gins earned of a " bloody battle" underscoring the threat to India.we should plan for an intense 40 day war, a target that should've been met a decade ago.

While NS is trying to speed up DPSU delivery,"civilian neglect over decades" is the key problem.Then there is the woeful budget.At less than 2% of the budget there's little left after salaries and pensions for modernisation and growth .

NS has to tackle these 2 problems Budget and Babus if we are to be fully prepared for anything more than a 10 day war.The GOI must just look around the globe at wars that have been going on for years! 10 days will be the tip of the tit of an iceberg in wartime!

Philip that interview was an ambush.

After BJP came military is ready for 10 day war.Before that it was one day war in many critical areas.Please read the Nitin Gokhale Interview with the MGO.And they are on path for +30 days stocks.BTW if after 10 days it will nuclear now..This ammo stock turnaround has come after the many procurement reforms in MoD.Beating a dead horse wont make it move.Reforms are what turned the situation around.

The reporters showed huge bias in the interview vis-à-vis Tejas all sorts of fake facts.NS could have rebutted but could not as she is new on the job.

I have already asked Swarajya what's the deal with those reporters.They portrayed as if military readiness was better under AKA !!!

More budget is not the problem but better utilization.

Only US can afford to spend the 2.5 % NATO never got around to spend 2%.

Apologies if posted elsewhere. The timings of these caught my as well as one angle I'd never thought of:

First, Mihir Sharma:

"All militaries lament a lack of resources, of course. And the Modi administration has certainly moved towards a closer strategic relationship with the U.S., signing some crucial agreements on cooperation between the two militaries. The problem, however, is that Indian politicians are simply unwilling to commit to modernizing the army if it means reducing its manpower -- even though Modi himself has admitted, “modernization and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult and unnecessary goal.

The army’s manpower is raised largely from parts of India that are often crucial swing districts in elections...."

“Giving in to China on the Tibetan community in exile is largely symbolic,” said Jonathan Holslag, professor of international politics at the Free University of Brussels. “But it does mark India’s weakening compared to China. China is rapidly modernizing its military presence, and India cannot follow.”

When Beijing increased its annual defense budget in March to $175 billion, it dwarfed the $45 billion New Delhi had announced just weeks before. India’s army chief complained that the disparity “dashed our hopes” of modernization."

But I'd not focused on the 'workfare' aspect of IA recruitment. Then it occurred to me that it's a pattern similar to that of the defense PSUs—particularly the OFB: it's not so much about meeting the militaries needs as it is about jobs. Just "give me order and we will do needful..."

And it's the same across other sectors. Banking? The only thing missing in PS Banks are the goblins as cashiers. Again its workfare. When JLN did his variation of seizing control of the 'commanding heights of the economy', no one could figure out why HMT was going to make watches, other PSUs would make bicycles. And let's not get started about the Cottage Emporium which closes for tea and lunch breaks.

I do hope Nirmala Sitharaman can make a difference. I really do. If she fails, then it's Rickshaw Mantri time.

Cosmo_R wrote:Apologies if posted elsewhere. The timings of these caught my as well as one angle I'd never thought of:

First, Mihir Sharma:

"All militaries lament a lack of resources, of course. And the Modi administration has certainly moved towards a closer strategic relationship with the U.S., signing some crucial agreements on cooperation between the two militaries. The problem, however, is that Indian politicians are simply unwilling to commit to modernizing the army if it means reducing its manpower -- even though Modi himself has admitted, “modernization and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult and unnecessary goal.

The army’s manpower is raised largely from parts of India that are often crucial swing districts in elections...."

To me this logic is like man who was asked what would happen if his ears were cut off. He replied "I won't be able to see". When asked why he said "Well you cut my ears and my hat will fall and cover my eyes"

^^^True. That's why it's a conundrum. You can have millions in manpower equipped with Lee Enfield .303 or you can go the tech way and use drones and satellites etc or some combination of both. But if you have manpower because you need to create jobs, it's a no-win.

Cosmo_R wrote:^^^True. That's why it's a conundrum. You can have millions in manpower equipped with Lee Enfield .303 or you can go the tech way and use drones and satellites etc or some combination of both. But if you have manpower because you need to create jobs, it's a no-win.

There is a bogey here

1. The allegation about manpower to create jobs. 2. That drones can do the job.

No other country has the complex length of border with hostile states that we have. We only look at America and other states and think we should be like them. What job would drones have done in Kargil? What job would drones have done in Doklam?

If you look at it - this sounds like a conspiracy to attack Indian military strength by claiming that it is for jobs only and that other countries are downsizing. Monkey should see and monkey should do. The arguments made in that link are not worth the time I spent reading them. I say keep up strength AND modernize.

Part of our manpower need for COIN in J&K, LoC, IB are due to the lack of political moves to remove our porkistan problem. If that had been solved, we wouldn't need to maintain such a large and active presence there. Rather than using political strength to do what's needed politicians are perfectly fine keeping the kettle boiling by throwing bodies at the problem like the Soviets in ww2.

SAARC is meaningless otherwise we could have built a regional body to take care of a common interest. Problem lies somewhat within our region that we have so many conflicting interests--- religious diversities -- is it a boon or an overhead?

Capital Acquisition of defence equipment is undertaken in accordance with the extant Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) which incorporates provisions to ensure the highest degree of probity, public accountability, impartiality and transparency in the procurement process. It envisages signing of an Integrity Pact between Government and bidders for all capital procurement / schemes of Rs.20 crore and above, as against the earlier requirement for such a Pact for schemes of over Rs.100 crore.

Allegations of corruption are dealt with expeditiously as per provisions of DPP and guidelines on the subject, which include provision for taking action against vendors for vexatious or frivolous complaints.

Modernisation of the Defence Forces is a continuous process based on threat perception, operational challenges, technological changes and available sources to keep the armed forces in state of readiness and remaining equipped with modern weapon system. During the last three years and in the current year (upto 31.01.2018), 192 contracts have been signed for capital procurement of defence equipment for armed forces.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to ShriManshankarNinamain Lok Sabha today.

Cosmo_R wrote:^^^True. That's why it's a conundrum. You can have millions in manpower equipped with Lee Enfield .303 or you can go the tech way and use drones and satellites etc or some combination of both. But if you have manpower because you need to create jobs, it's a no-win.

Given that the reference of everything, America applied this concept of drones and satellites in Afghanistan. And they had one border to guard.

The 'stages' I remember that the Jawans had to go through from news reports,

Chance upon infiltration, engage them with no distinct advantageThen there was intel, so they used to trek in the hilly areas for tens of hours to interceptWith intel, they started reaching the intercept areas faster with DhruvsIntel is good even across the LoC and now adoption of NVDswe still talk about kill ratios in 2018...intercepts can happen with armed drones as well

SOME MEN DREAM OF BEING A HERO, OTHERS RELIVE IT IN THEIR NIGHTMARES..

Capt Vijendra Singh Gurung, an alumnus of King George School Chail, was an Indian Army Officer commissioned in Assam Regiment. During the Indo Pak 1971 war, a young Commando Platoon Commander then, Capt Gurung leading his men from the front walked into a Paki ambush and was taken Prisoner of War on the Western sector. He went through inhuman forms of torture that accompanies a PoW specially so in Pakistan. He was lucky in that he was repatriated back to India in 1973 due to intervention of World Red Cross unlike the 54 PWs who are still languishing in Paki jails till date.Capt Gurung was awarded the Pashchimi Star, Sangram Medal and 25th Independence Anniversary Medal for his courage and sacrifice during 1971 war. All this while, he was suffering from post war trauma (PTSD) which he did not disclose to anyone and fought it in his head every night. He started leading a secluded life and seen spending nights in the forest. With no medical help and legal advise, he chose to leave the Indian Army after 5 years without any pension.

Since 1977, he has not had any psychiatric examination treatment nor any rehabilitation training due to which he has sunk into a groove of despondency. Yet, he never begged & instead sought work of a laborer on the roadside. With this earning, which came infrequently, he is living a hard life in extreme poverty. He lives in a small room, with no door, window, toilet, electricity or water. He has lived like this for over 40 years. During this period, his wounds, mental, have deepened. Today, we have a daunting task to try to restore his state.

Help this WAR HERO who fought to defend this nation, rehabilitate and lead a dignified life in his remaining years.

We are running this campaign to collect funds for1. Rehabilitation of the officer2. Providing a decent shelter and basic home needs3. Monthly living expenses

Your generous contribution will only go towards the welfare of the war veteran.You can also do a bank transfer to the below mentioned account setup for this fundraising campaign:

I was invited to the Indian Express signature event #ExpressAdda With Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Of Defence, on Saturday 7th April.

During the course of the event, I brought up the topic of SQR's being drafted to suit foreign systems, and Tejas & Arjun not being inducted in sufficient numbers. Her response in the the following video from 1:11:48 to 1:14:09

Also met up with BRF member Kapil Chandni whom I remembered from his photos of Su-30MKI induction.

To answer Deejay's post some pages back on how she'll be as a war leader, check out her response on 31:29 on India making the LoC hot.

"We cant allow them to come in and then strategize how to contain millitancy."

"We're finishing them off at the LoC"

31:50 "Its my business to keep the border safe, and if my enemy continues to keep hitting, I cant be tired...but if I have somebody who is constantly violating the border, violating the ceasefire, encouraging state and non state actors to get in, is it not my business to protect ourselves? Is it not my business to ensure they dont come in, and I shall do it tirelessly."

No Defence Minister in India has ever been so proactively hands on with statements like,"Its my business to keep the border safe" and "I shall do it tirelessly"

NS' interview is well worth every minute, tsarkar sir great work, wish we had her or MP as full time right from 2014

Ministry of DefencePresident Confers Gallantry and Distinguished Service AwardsPosted On: 23 APR 2018 7:32PM by PIB DelhiThe President and Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Shri Ram NathKovind conferred threeKirti Chakras and thirteenShaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here today. TwoKirti Chakras and two of the Shaurya Chakras were given posthumously.

The President also conferred thirteenParam Vishisht Seva Medals, twoUttamYudhSeva Medals, twoBar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals and twenty six Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order. The following is the list of awardees in order of presentation:-

Capital Acquisition of defence equipment is undertaken in accordance with the extant Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) which incorporates provisions to ensure the highest degree of probity, public accountability, impartiality and transparency in the procurement process. It envisages signing of an Integrity Pact between Government and bidders for all capital procurement / schemes of Rs.20 crore and above, as against the earlier requirement for such a Pact for schemes of over Rs.100 crore.

Integrity pacts are a joke. They simply reiterate some common guidelines and ask the bidder to state " I did not bribe for this contract, I will not bribe for this contact and and if I did I will let you guys know" plebian stuff that only our beaureaucats can think of. All it does is add a dozen odd pages to the contract, nothing more. Even if malpractices are not explicitly listed in integrity pact, they are illegal anyhow.

India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently called upon the armed forces to draw up a list of outdated equipment that can be refurbished and gifted to ‘friendly’ countries in an effort to deepen New Delhi’s regional defence ties.

Official sources told Jane’s that the list is expected to include artillery field guns, armoured vehicles, helicopters, naval patrol vessels, and radar systems that are dated or nearing obsolescence.

They said the move was prompted by requests from “friendly” African and Asian countries to acquire the equipment.

India’s practice of gifting second-hand defence weapons and platforms is not new, with several countries such as Afghanistan and Myanmar receiving such equipment in recent years.

War criminals... Japanese troops here seem to be making a game of executing their prisoners of warThe Sikh POWs lined up ready to be shotBayonets are then stuck in to make sure no-one survivesJapanese General Yamashita was in charge when the atrocities took place

The posh United Services Club in Navy Nagar, Colaba, has had no water supply for the past week as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has cut off its water connection for not paying property tax to the tune of Rs 221 crore.

The US Club, established in 1937, offers memberships to serving and retired officers of the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force. It also has civilians as members, but membership to civilians was stopped since 2001.

A member of the club alleged that the action was taken as certain BMC officer was denied membership in the club. Earlier, members of the Bombay Gymkhana had alleged that the BMC had decided to take their land for road widening and issued them notices as they wanted memberships for senior bureaucrats.